A stolen pigeon worth $184,000 is making international headlines today. The pigeon was stolen in Germany, and its owner estimates its worth at $184,000. There is a handsome reward of over $12,000 for anyone who finds the bird according to Fox News. Authorities believe that whomever is responsible for taking the pigeon knew about its worth, as it was the only bird taken from the aviary.

“Duesseldorf police said Tuesday that the 6-year-old male homing pigeon, named AS 969, was stolen at some point on Saturday night from a locked aviary in the city’s suburbs,” Fox News reports.

The stolen pigeon worth $184,000 may be sold for cash. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, authorities believe that the thief or thieves are “connoisseurs.” The bird, which doesn’t have the best reputation in some parts of the world, is quite sought after by some people who know it’s actual worth.

Homing pigeons are very smart birds, who can almost always find their way back to their home, which is how they got their name. According to Wikipedia, these birds were used to deliver messages in both World Wars.

“Birds were used extensively during World War I. One homing pigeon, Cher Ami, was awarded the French Croix de guerre for her heroic service in delivering 12 important messages, despite having been very badly injured… Also in World War II, hundreds of homing pigeons with the Confidential Pigeon Service were airdropped into northwest Europe to serve as intelligence vectors for local resistance agents. Birds played a vital part in the Invasion of Normandy as radios could not be used for fear of vital information being intercepted by the enemy.”

The stolen pigeon worth $184,000 wasn’t used to carry messages, but did have all of the qualities of a healthy homing pigeon, which made him quite valuable.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, pigeons in China were recently suspected of being involved in a possible terrorist attack. Many species of pigeon are incredibly smart, and can be trained. Back in October, several pigeons had to be checked — as in cavity searched — for “suspicious objects.”

“How could a pigeon be used to orchestrate an attack? A Trojan pigeon attack may sound far-fetched, but it’s not impossible, according to pigeon experts. They are an intelligent species with a strong sense of direction. Moreover, they are docile and can be trained to follow a series of instructions.”